In January 2026, France's manufacturing sector saw a recovery, rising by 0.6%.

Manufacturing Sees Recovery in January 2026

Manufacturing activity experienced a turnaround in January 2026, rising by 0.6% following a 0.7% decline in December 2025. The broader industrial sector also saw improvement, posting a 0.5% increase after a 0.5% drop the previous month.

This resurgence in manufacturing was primarily fueled by a significant jump in transport equipment production, which soared by 9.9% after a sharp 12.8% decrease. The growth was especially notable in the category of other transport equipment, which surged by 19.1% following a 20.1% fall, with aerospace manufacturing leading the way.

However, output fell across all other manufacturing segments. Production of various industrial goods—including metallurgy, chemicals, and pharmaceuticals—declined by 0.9%, reversing a 1.2% gain from the previous month.